What is Operators in C

In C, operators are symbols used to perform operations on variables and values. They are a fundamental part of programming, enabling calculations, logical comparisons, and more.

Types of Operators in C

1. Arithmetic Operators
   • Used to perform basic mathematical operations.
   • Operators:
     + (Addition), - (Subtraction), * (Multiplication), / (Division), % (Modulus).

   Example:

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   int a = 10, b = 3;
printf("Sum: %d\n", a + b); // Output: 13
printf("Remainder: %d\n", a % b); // Output: 1


2. Relational Operators
   • Used to compare values and return a Boolean result.
   • Operators:
     == (Equal to), != (Not equal to), < (Less than), > (Greater than), <= (Less than or equal to), >= (Greater than or equal to).

   Example:

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   int a = 5, b = 10;
printf("a < b: %d\n", a < b); // Output: 1 (true)


3. Logical Operators
   • Used to perform logical operations on expressions.
   • Operators:
     && (Logical AND), || (Logical OR), ! (Logical NOT).

   Example:

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   int a = 1, b = 0;
printf("a AND b: %d\n", a && b); // Output: 0 (false)
printf("NOT a: %d\n", !a); // Output: 0 (false)


4. Bitwise Operators
   • Used to perform operations at the bit level.
   • Operators:
     & (Bitwise AND), | (Bitwise OR), ^ (Bitwise XOR), ~ (Bitwise NOT), << (Left shift), >> (Right shift).

   Example:

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   int a = 5, b = 3; // Binary: a = 0101, b = 0011
printf("a & b: %d\n", a & b); // Output: 1
printf("a << 1: %d\n", a << 1); // Output: 10


5. Assignment Operators
   • Used to assign values to variables.
   • Operators:
     = (Assign), +=, -=, *=, /=, %= (Compound assignment).

   Example:

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   int a = 10;
a += 5; // a = a + 5
printf("a: %d\n", a); // Output: 15


6. Unary Operators
   • Operate on a single operand.
   • Operators:
     + (Positive), - (Negative), ++ (Increment), -- (Decrement), ! (Logical NOT).

   Example:

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   int a = 5;
printf("Increment: %d\n", ++a); // Output: 6


7. Ternary Operator
   • A shorthand for if-else.
   • Syntax:
     condition ? value_if_true : value_if_false

   Example:

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   int a = 10, b = 20;
int max = (a > b) ? a : b;
printf("Max: %d\n", max); // Output: 20


8. Special Operators
   • Sizeof: Determines the size of a data type.
   • Comma: Combines multiple expressions, evaluates from left to right.
   • Pointer Operators: * (Dereference), & (Address of).

   Example:

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   int a = 10;
printf("Size of a: %zu\n", sizeof(a)); // Output: 4 (depending on system)


Operator Precedence and Associativity

Operators have precedence that determines the order in which they are evaluated, and associativity determines the direction of evaluation (left-to-right or right-to-left).

Summary Table of Operators

Understanding operators is essential for building efficient and logical C programs.